This week lets talk about the Chateauesque or Chateau Style of architecture. A revival style inspired from the French chateaus of the Loire Valley in France. The popular architect of this revival which was popular at the end of the 19th century and the begining of the 20th was Richard Morris Hunt. He was inspired by what he saw in France and brought the style to North America. In this style one can find elements of the Gothic and the Renaissance styles.
Principal characteristics of the style are steeply pitched roofs, crestings, finials, tall chimneys, round towers, ornamentation, broken roof lines, facades with recessing and protruding planes. They are typically asymmetrical. The final effect was meant to impress, it was grand and perhaps at times gaudy. Typically built of masonry this style was expensive to build.
Take a look at the roof line of the Chateau Laurier and you will indeed see countless turrets, towers and bas-refiefs. The proposed expansion I must say was not very faltering. Here are the links to my previous posts on that subject:
“A few lines of hip-hop added to a Shakesperean love sonnet”
Chateau Laurier – Revised Drawings
Chateau Laurier Extension Blog 2
Chateau Laurier – Proposed expansion.
With the Chicago Architecture Foundation I learnt an expression as new construction or a new element even a new painting is added to your home there should be a dialogue among the elements. They can complement each other or contrast each other but there should be dialogue. There didn’t seem to be much of a conversation with the proposed addition!
Hard to find a pic of details of the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City but clearly we have turrets and towers and oh so many finials.
The Quebec City Armoury though with less embelishments is still representative of the style.
The Biltmore Estate is Richard Morris Hunt’s masterpiece. The ultimate chateauesque structure! It has every style element required!
…and gargoyles! I do believe gargoyles are more typical of the Gothic style but earlier I did say the chateauesque style borrows some features from the Gothic and the Renaissance!
